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Building a European Public Sphere

25-09-2017

60 years ago, European countries pledged to work together more closely to prevent more of the disastrous wars that had marked the history of the continent. The creation of the European Union heralded the longest period of peace and economic growth in modern history. But the past years, we have seen a Union in crisis, with Eurosceptic parties gaining in strength and Brexit negotiations in full swing.

To reinforce the European idea, we need a continuous input of new ideas and initiatives that build bridges. Only throuh open debate, can we form a more democratic Europe. This is why, together with IG-EuroVision, we launched the European Public Sphere, a project that brings discussions about the future of the EU back into the public space.

Does the EU need a democratic relaunch? How can we equip European democracy to better meet the challenges of the 21st century? What could a European economy and financial system look like? What do we need for a concerted European approach to climate issues? These questions and many more form the basis of our discussions. The dialogues take place on public squares all over Europe and are open to anyone who wishes to join - market squares, beaches, alpine pastures, libraries, shopping centres. All passers-by are invited to participate and share their ideas on the future of Europe.

The conversations take place in a geometric dome, the Europe Dome. It serves as the travelling venue for our dialogues on the future of Europe. The structure of the Dome, made of triangles, pentagons and hexagons, is a metaphor for the structure that binds Europe together and a celebration of cultural diversity. It is a representation of the solidarity of our communities in a globalised world. Every beam is important for the stability of the big whole, just like every voice counts in our democracies.

The European Public Sphere organises stops all over Europe and invites local and international organisations to take part in the debates. Since its start in 2017, the European Public Sphere has welcomed more than 700 participants under its roof in more than 100 Dome Talks in 8 countries: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain (Basque Country), and The Netherlands.

For more information regarding the project, upcoming events and reports about our tours, please visit our website. You can find videos of the different Dome Talks on our Youtube channel "European Public Sphere". And please don't forget to support us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!